Counterbalanced stair.



F. 0. SEYMOUR. COUNTERBALANGED STAIRL APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1911. 1,015,645, 7 Patented Jan. 23, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. drz aerzr. a W%%' W W 4 M P. 0. SEYMOUR. COUNTERBALANCED STAIR. APYLIUATION FILED MAYI'Y, 1911. 7 1,01 5 ,645, Patented Jan. 23, 1912.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

. plete a fire escape from the point where the production of a simple, efficient, effective arts Fi ure 1 is a side elevation of mv de- SAS anion.

FREDEEICK CHARLES" SEYMOUR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH HALSTED 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

I COUNTER-BALANCED STAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 23, 19 12.

Application filed May 17, 1911. Serial No. 627,745.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK CHARLES SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counterbalanced Stairs, of which the following is a description.

My invention belongs to that general class of devices generally employed to comladder terminates some distance above the ground, and to temporarily extend the same to the ground when occasion may require. When not'so employed it is designed to be positioned in a horizontal plane 'near the line of the pivot, carrying the same so as not to obstruct the place below the fire escape, or provide means for prowlers to. gain access to the building.

My invention has among its objects the and economical construction of the kind described for use Wherever found applicable To this end my invention consists .in the nation of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding vice lowered into operative position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. i Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially on line 3, 3 of F 1. Fig. 4 is a View of the upper end of the ladder looking outward from the building to more clearly show the construction. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the pivotal support and adjacent parts. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially. on line 6, 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to a portion of Fig. 5, of a modified construction. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 8, 8 ofFig. 7.

In the preferred form shown in the drawings, 1 is the outer side bar of the ladder, and 2 is the inner side bar, provided with steps 3, 3 arranged therebetween in the usual manner. The pivotrod 4 may be supported upon the side of the building in any usual or preferred. manner, as shown, it is supported by the hangers 5, 5, extending from a shitable boom, or'its equivalent (not shown). Loosely mounted on the pivot bar 4 is a tubular part 6, the ends only of the part 6 resting upon the pivot. The ends of the part 6 are flanged, as shown at 7, and have secured thereto plates 8, to the upper end of which are secured the side bars 1, 2, and thus arranged, .said side bars and the ladder are supported a distance above the pivotal center, as shown.

Upon the outer side bar 1 of the ladder, and firmly secured to the plate 8, I arrange a. suitable angle bar or post 9, and along the side of the bar 1, other posts 10, which carry truss rods 11, the upper one of which extends downward and is secured near the free end of the side bar. The said rod serves also as a hand rail. Upon the inner side I also prefer to constructthe ladder in substantially the same way, the angle irons or posts 12 and rods 13 serving a similar purpose.

Carried upon the outer side bar 1, as shown, from the post 9, and a portion of the posts 10, 10, by struts or angles 14, 14, etc.,

I arrange the counterweight bar 15, upon the free end of which is secured the counterweight 16. The counterweight is preferably adjustably secured upon the bar so that it may be positioned as desired to secure the most satisfactory results. As shown in the drawings, I preferably extend the upper rod 11 to the counterweight and secure the same thereto, a turnbuckle or equivalent means being provided for affording adjustm ent If desired, additional supporting rods 18 and 19 may be provided, the same being suit-ably secured to the posts 9 and 12 car-'- ried by the side bars, and to the side bars.

A slightly modified construction for the integrally formed tubular part 6 and flanges 7 is shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in which 4 and 5 represent the pivot rod and one of the supports. Arranged on the pivot 4 is a tubular member 21, which is preferably squared at each end and provided with a part 23, arranged to be fitted thereon,

which part is provided with a flange 22. The part 20, which is similar to the part 8 in the other construction, is secured to-the flange 22 by screws, bolts, or their equivalents, for'the purpose. The parts 23 may be prevented from slipping off of the tubular part byset screws 24, or their equivalents. The end of the tubular part being squared or irregular, there is no strain on the set screws 24 except to maintain the 110 parts together. This construction is the equivalent of the construction illustrated in Fig. 5, but somewhat more economical in operated, the center of gravity is shifted from side to side; that is to' say, whenthe ladder is in. longitudinal position, the cen-.

ter of gravity is to that side of the pivotal support upon which the counterweight is located and tends to hold the ladder in horizontal position, but when the ladder is depressed inoperative position, the center of gravity is moved past the vertical plane of thepivotal support sothat the ladderis maintained down.

It will be seen from this briefdescription;

that the whole device'constitutes alcompact and comparatively rigid'ladder, the free end of the inner side bar 2, being sustained against sagging or dropping, by means of the connecting sleeve or tube 6, or its equivalent in the tubular part 21, to the side parts aresecured, and bythe cooperating truss posts and rods mentioned; that is to say the torsional strength of said sleeve together with the truss rods is suificient to support the free endof the inner side bar and prevent its sagging, thereby obviating warping or twistingof the ladder.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that immaterial modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, arrangement or combination of partsv herein shown and described, or uses mentioned. i What I claim as new and 'desire to'secure by Letters Patent is 1'. A counterbalanced stair, comprising suitable side bars, with steps arranged therebetween,

means loosely engaging the side bars for pivotally supporting the stair, a

' ri id tubular member rigidly connecting the suitable side bars with si e bars adjacent their connection with the meansv for pivotally supporting the stair, a counterbalance bar arranged upon one of the side bars of the stair, and a counterweight positioned on said counterbalanced bar.

' 2. A counterbalanced stair comprising steps arranged therebetween, means for supporting said stair comprising a pivot rod loosely engaging the I side bars of the stairs, a rigid tubular brace rigidly connected to the side bars of the stalrsand surrounding said pivot bar, a

counterbalance bar arranged upon one of the side bars of the stairs, and a counterweight mounted on said counterbalanced bar.

- 13. In a device of thek'ind described, side bars provided with steps arranged therebeend rigidly connected which each of by a rigid brace member arranged in proximity to the pivotal support,-a truss ost rigidly secured to said rigid brace mem and a truss rod extending from the free end of said post to the inner side bar, a counterbalance bar carried by the outer side bar, and having upon its free end a counterweight arranged thereon, and means for supporting the device in, operative position. I 4. In a device of the kind described, side bars provided with steps arranged'therebetween, with the upper end rigidly connected by a rigid brace member arranged in proximity to the pivotal su rigidly secured to said rigid brace member,

pport, a truss 'post i a the inner side bar, a counterbalance bar carried by the. outer, side bar, above said pivqotal support, and having upon its free end a counterweight arranged thereon, a' connec tion betweensaid counterweight and said truss rod and means for supporting the de vice in operative position.

5. In a device of the kind described, a side bar provided with steps arranged .therebetween, a rigid brace member rigidly connect- I ing the side bars at their upper end, truss posts for each sidebar rigidly connected to ,the said rigid brace member, and provided. at their freeends withitru'ss rods extending outward. and connected to said bars adjacent their free ends, a counterweight bar carried by the outer side bar, and a1 counterweight adjustably'mounted upon the free. end of the counterweight bar, "and means for supporting the device upon the outer wall of the building. I l 6. In a device of'the kind described, the side bars provided withstps arranged therebetween, the upper ends *of the side bars being provided withdependiil-g plates rigidly secured thereto, a; rigid sleeve member rig-,

idlysecured at its ends to said plate, a pivot rodlloosely extending through said sleeve member, in combination with a counterweight bar carried by one side bar, a coun-" terweight-mounted on the free end of said counterweight bar, and means for support device upon the outer wall ofthe ends .to-said plate, extending through said a-pivot rod' loosely sleeve member, ing upwardly from one of the side bars,fa counterweight bar carried by said posts and positioned above said sidebar, a counter- 4 nding plates a rigld sleeve mema plurality of posts 'extendcharacter described,

weight mounted on the free end'offsaid coun- Iterweig-ht bar, a truss rod connectingsaid posts, one end. ofsaid truss rod beingfconward nected to the outer end of the side bar and the other end of said truss rod being connected to said counterweight, and means for pivotally supporting the device.

- 8. In a device of the kind described, side bars provided with steps arranged therebetween, the upper ends of the side bars being provided with depending plates rigidly secured thereto, arlgid sleeve member rigidly secured to said plates and provided with upwardly extending truss posts, truss rods extendin from the free ends of said posts outom the free end-of the bars and se-' cured thereto, in combination with a counterweight bar carried by one of the sidebars and arranged above the line of the pivot, a

counterweight arranged upon the free end I of the counterweight bar, and means for supporting the device upon the outer wall of the building.

In testimony signed my name in'the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK CHARLES snrnoua.

Witnesses: V

R01? W. HILL, CHARLES 1. Cone.

whereof, I have hereunto 

